EXCLUSIVE: Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee has opened up about the passing of band leader Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, in a brand new interview with eonmusic, saying that every beat he plays in future, will be in tribute to the late singer. Speaking on the red carpet at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, Dee also revealed his disappointment at being unable to play with Thin Lizzy on their 40th anniversary tour.

Photo: Dean Fardell.

By Eamon O'Neill on 23rd June 2016.

EXCLUSIVE:Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee has opened up about the passing of band leader Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, in a brand new interview with eonmusic, saying that every beat he plays in future, will be in tribute to the late singer. Speaking on the red carpet at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, Dee also revealed his disappointment at being unable to play with Thin Lizzy on their 40th anniversary tour.

Appearing at the Golden Gods, which were held on 13th June in London, Dee and former Motörhead band mate guitarist Phil Campbell joined long-time touring partners Saxon to honour their late band leader with a short set that featured a run through some of their classic tracks.

Speaking to eonmusic about the experience, Dee said: “It was with our friends Saxon. We wouldn’t do it with anyone else I don’t think. We’ve done a lot with these guys, so it felt kind of natural.

Continuing, he added: “It was great to sit on stage and start up ‘Overkill’. I never thought I’d do that [again]. It was great fun. I wouldn’t have minded playing an hour and a half more, to get into the real stuff!”

Summarising his career with Motörhead, Mikkey said that he enjoyed the band’s hard working ethic. Said Dee: “I lived with the boys for 25 years. That’s a lot of stuff happening, man. We always were a band that were touring all the time, so it’s not like we were doing a world tour and then taking three years off”.

Admitting that the band’s final tour in late 2015 had been a struggle, Dee said he was none the less proud about how the band ended. Said the skinsman: “I think we went out with a bang, a big crash. [It was] a fantastic way of finishing up the band. I couldn’t believe how long we actually could play, knowing that we struggled on the European tour. When he [Lemmy] walked on stage he was unbelievably ill, and then he suffered from energy loss.

Talking about his shock at the icon’s passing, Dee went on to reveal his own plans to personally remember Lemmy: “No one thought he was going to pass away, but well he’s up there, he’s down there somewhere, he’s just laughing”, said Mikkey, adding: “Every snare hit that I do from now on until the end of my career, will be a small tribute to Lemmy; the man and friend and band mate that I had”.

Moving on to talk about his recent appointment as touring drummer with the Scorpions, Mikkey admitted that having to turn down a slot behind the kit with one of his “favourite bands” had been a blow. “I wish I could have done the Thin Lizzy shows, but Lizzy was six shows, and Scorpions will be touring for the rest of the year”, said the drummer, adding: “Honestly it’s a bummer for me. Maybe they’ll do a 50th anniversary tour!”

Despite missing out on the Thin Lizzy gig, Dee said that he was pleased to have joined the Germanic institution: “it’s a great honour to carry the Scorpions flag”, he said. When asked if loosing Motörhead had been a big loss professionally, he admitted: “It is a terrible loss to go from something like that to absolutely nothing, but now with the Scorpions, it’s great”. Concluding, he added: “It’s been fantastic, and I’m not ready to put my drum sticks on a shelf”.

Mikkey Dee joined Motörhead in 1992, and went on to record thirteen albums with the band including 1995’s ‘Sacrifice’ and 2015’s ‘Bad Magic’.